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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26026591">The Alt Vault</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmo/pseuds/tmo'>tmo</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:00:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,466</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26026591</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmo/pseuds/tmo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of AU oneshots that I don't have time to post properly because adhd</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Fantasy AU - Numbing Pain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>SUMMARY: The king is dead, leaving his kingdom to mourn in the hands of his son.</p><p>TAGS: Fantasy, fairies &amp; fae, grief, mourning, </p><p>WARNINGS: This one revolves around someone's death and happens in a fantasy-style tomb.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>"My Lord," Iruka called out into the muffled hall. The shadowed, gossamer drapes hanging from above dulled all noise and it didn't surprise him that Kakashi couldn't hear him. As beautiful as the Hall of Tears was, it was no place for living creatures nor their sounds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Up ahead, the flickering of floating candles dotted the darkness to one of the tombs. This was a sacred, royal place. Only those of royal blood were entombed here, Kings and Queens of the recent and long-forgotten past all in the same place to be remembered. Yet, it wasn't a place Iruka had ever visited. Normally, he would have no reason to enter it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, he was walking through the Hall of Tears in search of Kakashi, following the trail of candles hanging all around him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sitting at the newest addition of cut quartz, Kakashi knelt at his father's tomb with slumped shoulders and tired wings. His friend looked like the hours had passed like years, eyes are dark as the circles under them. Clothes just as threadbare, he wasn't playing the part of a Lord anymore. He was barely himself at all. He was simply a son grieving for his father.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A part Iruka had played before and understood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Kakashi," he said softly and the fae didn't seem to hear him until Iruka stepped in closer, grazing his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iruka," was all Kakashi had to say, pulling himself together with the flick of his wings.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked like he'd aged hundreds of years and it hurt Iruka to see the person he'd served for years this way, someone who he'd come to think of as a dear friend. Nodding politely, Iruka offered softly, "He's at peace now."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As tall as those walls were around Kakashi's emotions, they faltered with the furrow of his brows and the stinging pain coming from him that Iruka could almost taste. "I hope so. I don't know what to do now."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Usually, Iruka's company was a welcome one. Now, Kakashi's heart wasn't in that place. The King, Kakashi's father, wouldn't be missed by many and the sadness around them was lonely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even though Iruka knew the pain of losing parents.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, he suggested the only thing he could think of. "You should visit the caves. Ask the Old Kings for guidance. He might even be there."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's too early," Kakashi said but Iruka's words stuck with him. "But I can ask the Old Kings what to do next."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As if weighed down by the world, Kakashi struggled to pull himself up. His weak motions hurt to watch and Iruka steadied him with a careful hand on his shoulder. As his hand lingered there, Kakashi seemed to grow stronger if just a bit. Before he turned to leave, he held Iruka’s hand there for one more moment with closed eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi seemed to be steadier on his feet despite his heavy heart, feeling Iruka’s support as if it were the hand on his shoulder. He finally took Iruka’s hand in his own in a tender caress before letting it slip from his fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He left Iruka in the Hall of Tears with a simple nod, heading back down the way Iruka had just come.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alone with the floating candles, draped gossamer and quartz tombs, Iruka pressed his hand to the last King’s tomb as a final goodbye.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Iruka whispered reverently into the shadows.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. College AU - Stressed Out</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>SUMMARY: Kakashi is a bit of an anxious mess with his blinders set on his studies. His roommate Iruka had always been so cool and unreachable. Until now.</p><p>TAGS: University life, students, and they were roommates</p><p>WARNINGS: This one is mildly fluffy with a smidge of swearing.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Oh god, please, no," Kakashi hissed at the printer, hoping that if there was a god that they would hear his plea and tell his printer to stop making those noises. This essay had to get printed and it had to be printed now. Class started in ten minutes, the class was on the other side of campus and his essay was still on the damn USB key instead of paper.</p><p>Then the printer made a stuttering croak and suddenly stopped to Kakashi's horror. Normally, Kakashi was a cool guy. This week had been shit though so he was allowed a frustrated, raging, "Fuck!"</p><p>His roommate was not in the same mood and it surprised Kakashi's socks off when Iruka kicked open his room door.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” The groggy and annoyed communications major came right up to Kakashi. He looked pissed from being woken up so early (it being ten in the morning and Iruka seemingly rocking a major headache from partying most probably).</p><p>Kakashi immediately wasn’t frustrated anymore because he was too flustered to be worried about papers, not with Iruka moving right into his personal space to look at the printer.</p><p>“The printer isn’t… y’know,” Kakashi managed to say as he froze, not knowing what to do with his gorgeous roommate so close to him. </p><p>“Well, yelling at it isn’t really going to help,” Iruka muttered as popped the printer’s lid open casually and started poking around. “Let me see.”</p><p>"Thanks. Sorry for waking you up. My final paper is due in like a few minutes and I’m…” Kakashi lost his words as the printer suddenly beeped and started printing.</p><p>Iruka straightened himself out and lolled his head over to ask, “Freaking out?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Kakashi admitted shyly.</p><p>“Don’t worry,” Iruka assured as he patted Kakashi’s shoulder like he’d done time and time again that year before strolling into the kitchen to start their coffee machine. “You’ll be fine.”</p><p>“Thanks. Sorry again,” Kakashi followed as his papers continued printing, hoping to send a bit more time with his always calm and laid back roommate. “You know, for waking you up.”</p><p>“It’s fine,” Iruka brushed off, pulling out one of his quirky mugs. This one had the words ‘be strange and beautiful’ on it with a narwhal and a golden handle, Iruka’s favourite. The same one Kakashj had bought him that Christmas.</p><p>"So, how was last night?" Kakashi quickly asked, trying to get his cheeks to stop sizzling.</p><p>“Horrible,” Iruka muttered, eyes drifting around their quiet apartment with a glaze that spoke of frustration and weariness. For a moment, Kakashi was confused. What had happened at the party? Had it been that insane? After Iruka started talking more, he realized that he wasn’t as familiar with his roommate as he’d once thought. “The printers in Laurier all stopped working at the same time so we kept getting calls about that and then it was just professor after professor calling because they couldn’t figure out the online learning and it was just… A mess really.”</p><p>"That sounds terrible,” Kakashi noted into the tired air around them and Iruka groaned.</p><p>“Like, read our knowledge bases before calling IT when you have a problem. We have pictures for a reason,” Iruka sassily remarked and they both chuckled amiably as the printer steadily worked.</p><p>Kakashi honestly should have put two and two together before. He even felt embarrassed that he'd had the impression over the last months that Iruka went to ragers and got irresponsibly drunk every school night when the opposite was the complete truth. Iruka was so chill not because he didn't care about his future but because he did. He was more like Kakashi than the frat guys Kakashi had imagined him to hang out with, a student who was working his way through university. It made Kakashi's opinion of Iruka skyrocket.</p><p>Iruka was the kind of guy who was great with people and better with technology. With his charming patience and down to earth confidence, Iruka really was someone who Kakashi found more and more admiration for every day.</p><p>Last week, Iruka proved to be a wizard at ping pong. Yesterday, he'd figured out Iruka dotted his I's with circles. Today, he found out Iruka worked in technology.</p><p>Would wonders never cease?</p><p>"Paper's out," Iruka cut through Kakashi's thoughts.<br/>
With a jolt, Kakashi scooped up his essay and used the stapler Iruka so helpfully had out already. He quickly shouted as he headed out, "Thanks!"</p><p>Before he could leave, Iruka stopped him.</p><p>"Hey!"</p><p>Kakashi looked back to find Iruka sipping his coffee, asking expectantly, "Genma and Ibiki are throwing a party with some of the other Raiders and some other guys in sports. Wanna come?"</p><p>Kakashi had never been to a university party, let alone one hosted by their football team. It would normally be a scary idea but with the way Iruka was awaiting his response, so open and inviting, Kakashi didn't know he said yes until Iruka grinned.<br/>
"Cool. I'll text you after work tonight and we'll head out from here?"</p><p>"Sure," Kakashi agreed as he remembered himself and hurried off with a wave. "I'll see you later!"</p><p>Three minutes late to class, the teacher still hadn't shown up yet and that left Kakashi out of breath both from the run and how easily Iruka, his cool roommate, got his anxious ass out of its comfort zone.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm not great at daily posting ;w;<br/>but its my birthday month so sue me!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Oh look, it's writer appreciation day!<br/>In that case, thank you all of you who have ever written or read for this fanfom. Truly, it warms my heart to see so many people jumping into it in over the past year~</p><p>Anyway, since I don't want the tags here to be long as heck, each chapter will be like this one where the tags will be in the first ANs along with warnings 😊</p><p>I might not do all the prompts for the AUgust challenge so if there's a prompt you'd really like to see, my tumblr inbox and twitter dms are open~</p><p>Wanna check iut the prompts and write something for yourself? Check the challenge out at augustwritingchallenge </p><p>Love you all~</p></blockquote></div></div>
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